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TH

CONGRESS
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ST SESSION

H. R. 645
To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish national emergency

centers on military installations.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

J

 

 

ANUARY

22, 2009
Mr. H

 

 

ASTINGS

of Florida introduced the following bill; which was referred to
the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to

the Committee on Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently determined

by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions

as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

A BILL

To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish
national emergency centers on military installations.

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Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa

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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National Emergency

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Centers Establishment Act’’.

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SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF NATIONAL EMERGENCY CEN

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TERS.

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(a) IN GENERAL.—In accordance with the require

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ments of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security

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HR 645 IH
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shall establish not fewer than 6 national emergency cen

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ters on military installations.

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(b) PURPOSE OF NATIONAL EMERGENCY CEN

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TERS

 

 

.—The purpose of a national emergency center shall

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be to use existing infrastructure—

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(1) to provide temporary housing, medical, and

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humanitarian assistance to individuals and families

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dislocated due to an emergency or major disaster;

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(2) to provide centralized locations for the pur

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poses of training and ensuring the coordination of

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Federal, State, and local first responders;

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(3) to provide centralized locations to improve

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the coordination of preparedness, response, and re

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covery efforts of government, private, and not-for

 

 

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profit entities and faith-based organizations; and

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(4) to meet other appropriate needs, as deter

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mined by the Secretary of Homeland Security.

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SEC. 3. DESIGNATION OF MILITARY INSTALLATIONS AS NA

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TIONAL EMERGENCY CENTERS.

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(a) IN GENERAL

.—Not later than 60 days after the

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date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Home

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land Security, in consultation with the Secretary of De

 

 

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fense, shall designate not fewer than 6 military installa

 

 

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tions as sites for the establishment of national emergency

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centers.

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(b) MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

.—A site designated as

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a national emergency center shall be—

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(1) capable of meeting for an extended period

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of time the housing, health, transportation, edu

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cation, public works, humanitarian and other transi

 

 

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tion needs of a large number of individuals affected

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by an emergency or major disaster;

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(2) environmentally safe and shall not pose a

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health risk to individuals who may use the center;

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(3) capable of being scaled up or down to ac

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commodate major disaster preparedness and re

 

 

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sponse drills, operations, and procedures;

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(4) capable of housing existing permanent

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structures necessary to meet training and first re

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sponders coordination requirements during nondis

 

 

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aster periods;

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(5) capable of hosting the infrastructure nec

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essary to rapidly adjust to temporary housing, med

 

 

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ical, and humanitarian assistance needs;

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(6) required to consist of a complete operations

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command center, including 2 state-of-the art com

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mand and control centers that will comprise a 24/7

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operations watch center as follows:

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(A) one of the command and control cen

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ters shall be in full ready mode; and

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(B) the other shall be used daily for train

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ing; and

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(7) easily accessible at all times and be able to

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facilitate handicapped and medical facilities, includ

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ing during an emergency or major disaster.

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(c) LOCATION OF NATIONAL EMERGENCY CEN

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TERS

 

 

.—There shall be established not fewer than one na

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tional emergency center in each of the following areas:

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(1) The area consisting of Federal Emergency

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Management Agency Regions I, II, and III.

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(2) The area consisting of Federal Emergency

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Management Agency Region IV.

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(3) The area consisting of Federal Emergency

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Management Agency Regions V and VII.

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(4) The area consisting of Federal Emergency

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Management Agency Region VI.

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(5) The area consisting of Federal Emergency

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Management Agency Regions VIII and X.

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(6) The area consisting of Federal Emergency

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Management Agency Region IX.

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(d) PREFERENCE FOR DESIGNATION OF C

LOSED

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MILITARY INSTALLATIONS.—Wherever possible, the Sec

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retary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Sec

 

 

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retary of Defense, shall designate a closed military instal

 

 

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lation as a site for a national emergency center. If the

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Secretaries of Homeland Security and Defense jointly de

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termine that there is not a sufficient number of closed

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military installations that meet the requirements of sub

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sections (b) and (c), the Secretaries shall jointly designate

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portions of existing military installations other than closed

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military installations as national emergency centers.

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(e) TRANSFER OF CONTROL OF CLOSED M

ILITARY

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INSTALLATIONS.—If a closed military installation is des

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ignated as a national emergency center, not later than 180

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days after the date of designation, the Secretary of De

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fense shall transfer to the Secretary of Homeland Security

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administrative jurisdiction over such closed military instal

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lation.

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(f) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT FOR JOINT U

SE OF

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EXISTING MILITARY INSTALLATIONS

.—If an existing

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military installation other than a closed military installa

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tion is designated as a national emergency center, not

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later than 180 days after the date of designation, the Sec

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retary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of Defense

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shall enter into a cooperative agreement to provide for the

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establishment of the national emergency center.

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(g) REPORTS

.—

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(1) PRELIMINARY REPORT

.—Not later than 90

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days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the

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Secretary of Homeland Security, acting jointly with

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the Secretary of Defense, shall submit to Congress

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a report that contains for each designated site—

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(A) an outline of the reasons why the site

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was selected;

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(B) an outline of the need to construct, re

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pair, or update any existing infrastructure at

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the site;

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(C) an outline of the need to conduct any

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necessary environmental clean-up at the site;

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(D) an outline of preliminary plans for the

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transfer of control of the site from the Sec

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retary of Defense to the Secretary of Homeland

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Security, if necessary under subsection (e); and

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(E) an outline of preliminary plans for en

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tering into a cooperative agreement for the es

 

 

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tablishment of a national emergency center at

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the site, if necessary under subsection (f).

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(2) UPDATE REPORT

.—Not later than 120 days

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after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec

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retary of Homeland Security, acting jointly with the

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Secretary of Defense, shall submit to Congress a re

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port that contains for each designated site—

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(A) an update on the information con

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tained in the report as required by paragraph

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(1);

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HR 645 IH
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(B) an outline of the progress made to

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ward the transfer of control of the site, if nec

 

 

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essary under subsection (e);

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(C) an outline of the progress made toward

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entering a cooperative agreement for the estab

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lishment of a national emergency center at the

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site, if necessary under subsection (f); and

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(D) recommendations regarding any au

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thorizations and appropriations that may be

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necessary to provide for the establishment of a

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national emergency center at the site.

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(3) FINAL REPORT

.—Not later than 1 year

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after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec

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retary of Homeland Security, acting j